The Toronto Raptors never wanted Kawhi Leonard to leave seven years ago. And signs point to the two-time NBA Finals MVP returning to the team with which he won the 2019 championship.
There are a lot of moving parts and conflicting information, but two sources close to the situation I spoke with on Sunday confirmed that the Raptors have discussed the possibility of a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that would bring a second 2025 NBA team to Toronto. The Raptorsโ interest in Leonard was first reported by Marc Stein and Jake Fisher.
The most likely deal would center on a package including 2025 star Brandon Ingram and third-year forward Grady Dick, which would work from a salary-matching standpoint, according to one source. The Raptors will likely have to add a few draft picks as additional compensation.
Leonard has one year and $50.3 million left on his contract. The 34-year-old is unlikely to receive an extension from the Clippers and is open to finding a team to extend his contract beyond the upcoming season, sources said.
โThe Clippers arenโt going to commit to anything with him, so it looks like heโs trying to force his way out of there,โ one source said.
Another said: โThe Clippers are willing to move himโฆ and I think a lot of teams are wary of acquiring Kawhi because you just donโt know if heโs going to playโฆ obviously thereโs a risk there. Toronto has him and so maybe he feels more comfortable if he plays for them, can play for them.โ
There are also designs that could be made to use Raptors forward RJ Barrettโs expiring contract as the basis for a trade, but Iโm told the Canadian star is unlikely to be involved in any deal with the Clippers.
Itโs not entirely clear how committed the Raptors are to making a deal for Leonard. Several different sources on Sunday suggested that this step could be taken, but the prevailing view seems to be that things are moving a little slower.
โTheyโve talked, but itโs pretty preliminary,โ one source said. โItโs not close,โ said another.
The talk is picking up steam as the NBA approaches the opening of the free agency period on Tuesday night. The Raptors also have something to focus on, with power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili expected to opt out of the final year of his $2.8 million contract on Monday. Sources tell me he is expected to receive multiple offers starting at over $10 million per year, which could make it difficult for the Raptors to retain him.
How that plays out will be revealed in the coming days, but the consensus seems to be that the Raptors are at least seriously considering the idea of โโbringing Leonard back. Toronto originally acquired him in a trade with San Antonio in the summer of 2018, and he left for the Clippers as a free agent days after leading the Raptors to their only championship.
โIf the price is right, youโll have to think about it,โ one league source said.
There doesnโt appear to be much of a market for Leonard, with teams concerned about his injury history, his age and his proven determination to control his destiny if the situation he finds himself in isnโt to his liking. That should help the Raptors, who are willing to add a proven championship piece at a relative discountโfor a second time.
Thatโs a risk, of course, even if Leonard is having a great season with the Clippers, earning his seventh NBA pick after career-best 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range while playing in 65 games.
Before last season, Leonard had averaged just 44 games a year in his previous six years in Los Angeles, including missing the 2021-22 season due to injury.
But the Raptors still have VP of Player Health and Performance Alex McKechnie on staff, which should give them a comfort level that other teams donโt have.
It was McKechnie who did such a good job of guiding Leonard, who was limited to just nine games in his final season in San Antonio by injury, to 60 regular-season games in Toronto and then lead the NBA at the end of the season. Part of the approach involved strategically resting Leonard so he wouldnโt fatigue and increase his risk of injury. This was one of the first instances of โload managementโ being used throughout a season, and has since become much more common.
Additionally, if Ingram is the centerpiece of an outgoing trade package, the Raptors may feel more comfortable taking on any risk that comes with Leonardโs health.
Yes, Ingram played a career-high 2,604 minutes and appeared in 77 games for Toronto, more than his rookie season.
But the 10-year veteran averaged just 52 games a year over eight seasons before joining the Raptors. After leading the Raptors in scoring during the regular season (21.5 points per game), Ingram struggled in the Raptorsโ first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, playing just 11 minutes in Game 5 and missing Games 6 and 7 before undergoing surgery for a bone spur in his right heel in early May.
Ingramโs contract is for two years and $82 million. The second season is a playerโs choice, and if he has a season similar to the one he just had with the Raptors, the soon-to-be 29-year-old is expected to seek his own contract extension.
Leonard is the best player; thereโs little debate here, and Ingram has his own concerns about durability.
In his first full year as the Raptorsโ top decision-maker, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster mused about the time to โmaybe start (starting) moving some pieces up the middle.โ
Webster led the Raptorsโ efforts to acquire Leonard back in 2018. It was a risky, franchise-altering move that led directly to a championship for the Raptors.
It looks like heโs at least considering going down that same path again.